This scholar is using their voice to inspire Indigenous queer joy and justice
charlie amáyá scott (she/they) is a 29-year-old Trans-feminine Queer Diné who uses their platform to advocate for Indigenous queer joy and justice. Born and raised within the Navajo Nation, they are dedicated to supporting movements that center or affect Black and Indigenous Queer and Trans Peoples. They are currently working on their doctoral dissertation, researching the intersections between higher education, settler colonialism, and social media.
What does feminism mean to you?
Personally, feminism is a way of knowing that challenges our preconceptions about gender and encourages us to disrupt colonizing gendered ways of being and ways of knowing.
We need to talk about your Instagram handle, @dineaesthetics, which is such a beautiful way of introducing yourself while honoring your heritage. What do you love most about being Diné?
What I love most about being Diné is knowing that my people were here before the US Empire and will continue to be here after its downfall, building community and helping others survive and thrive, together.
Last year, you wrote a piece for Yes! Magazine titled “Beyond the Binary: Retelling the Diné Creation Story.” Why was it important to you to retell this story from your perspective?
It was important for me to retell this specific creation story because it was an act of defiance against colonization. My community has, like so many, experienced centuries of colonization that has impacted us in so many ways. One particular way is the lack of acceptance towards our LGBTQ+ and Intersex relatives, as well as just widespread ignorance about who we are.
Stories for us are more than just stories. They are memories, lessons, herstory, and so much more. By excluding our LGBTQ+ and Intersex relatives, we are silencing their presence and voice within our community.
We love how you’ve spoken proudly about being a Trans-feminine Queer Diné. How have your perceptions of gender and sexuality evolved throughout your life?
My perceptions of gender and sexuality have expanded so much since my childhood. I grew up ignorant about so many things, especially about gender and sexuality. For example, I was completely unaware of Trans herstory and knew very little about Diné conceptions of self.
And, when I finally learned about Trans herstory and developed counternarratives for my community, I felt a little bit more free, and I want other people to experience such freedom.
Pride is a beautiful movement that has grown and evolved so much over the years, but still has room for improvement. How can the Pride movement become more inclusive towards Indigenous communities?
We need to recenter liberation in the Pride movement, instead of comfort. We need to have uncomfortable conversations about justice, about landback, about anti-Blackness, about racism, trans-misogyny, literally all the -isms, because we’re forgetting to be disruptive and defiant against the settler nation-state. I believe having those tough conversations, with ourselves or with community, is how Pride can be more inclusive towards Indigenous communities and others as well.
What advice would you give to someone who is wanting to learn more about their own sexuality and gender identity?
You have to lean into the discomfort of your sexuality and gender identity. You have to undo how you, yourself, have come to understand your gender identity and sexuality, and then you can rebuilt your own conception of self. I think so many of us are afraid to do that because of what we will realize, and that’s how you can learn and grow as a person.
How do you practice Indigenous queer joy in your life?
I share time and space with friends, who are queer, who are trans, and sometimes, who are Indigenous. Community is the best form of practicing joy. There’s so much love for each other and so much support, and that’s really freeing.
